Follower plate for grease dispensers



May 17, 1960 MALEC' 2,936,933

FOLLOWER PLATE FOR GREASE DISPENSERS Filed Dec. 1, 1958 -mgnbor dm, 1 u AA kale:

United States Patent i This invention relates to follower plates and more particularly to a 'slidable follower plate foruse in conjunction with suction type grease dispensers.

The use of follower plates-with 'grease'pumps is old. Usually the grease pump meansconsists of a'suction pump having an elongated vertical tube extending downwardly 1 bottom of the'contaiiierf It Patented May "17, 1960 ice is to such well known grease pump and container that I use my follower plate and which I will now describe in detail.

The numeral 15 designates the spanner plate portion of the device and which has a downwardly turned rim.

; 16 for slidably engagmgthe inside wall of the container V The numeral 17 designates a central hole in the plate for receiving my bearing seal portion a This portion is of flexible resilient material such as rubber, plastic or like and is generally designated by the numeral 19., This member 19 is of a general cone shape having a center bore 20 loosely embracing the tube 13. On the inside upper area of this bore is a continuous horizontal inwardly extending sealing ring portion 21, slidably contacting the outer wall of the tube as shown in Fig. 1.

13. The numeral 22 designates a similar sealing ring in into the container having'the grease supply. The tube terminates near the inside bottom of the container, but due to the stiffness of the grease, much of it remains on the side wall of the container even after the lower end of the tube has sucked grease to a level where it is exposed to the atmosphere. Also, the moment an air passageway is sucked through the center mass of grease, the grease pump ceases to function. To correct this defect a follower plate is slidably placed around the tube and on top of the grease mass. As the grease is sucked through the tube, the follower plate will descend accordingly thereby removing grease clinging on the inside wall of the container and also preventing the sucking of an air passageway through the grease mass. However, herebefore such follower plates were not entirely satisfactory. They had a tendency to stick and bind on the tube, and did not successfully seal around the tube.

Therefore, one of the principal objects of my invention is to provide a follower plate for the suction tube of grease pumps that does not stick or bind in its down ward sliding movement.

A further object of this invention is to provide a highly efficient sealing means between the pump tube and span of the follower plate.

Still further objects of my invention are to provide a follower plate for the suction tube of grease pumps that is economical in manufacture and durable in use.

These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangemeists, and combination, of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained as hereinafter more fully set forth, specifically pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my follower plate in use, V

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the follower plate and more fully illustrates its construction.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the sealing portion of the device embracing the-pump suction tube,

Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the sealing means taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2, and" Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross sectional view of'the sealing means taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

In these drawings I have used the numeral 10 to designate an ordinary grease container having an inside circular wall and a lid 11. Thenumeral 12 designates a the lower area of the bore also slidably engaging the tube .13. The numeral 23 designates a continuous horizontal radially extending slit in and around the periphe cry of; said bearing seal as shown in Fig. 3. This circularslit is near; the bottom base of the cone-shaped bear ings e'aland is forthe purpose of embracing both sides of the area around the center hole 17 of the plate 15. The

base portion 27 of'the bearing seal that is below the slit 23 is of a diameter substantially greater than that of the bearing seal above the slit 23 as shown in Fig. 2'. Adjacent the hole 17 and pressed in the plate is a continuous circular upwardly extending ring portion 25. Spaced from and outwardly of the ring portion 25 is a second press-formed continuous circular ring 26 but which extends downwardly. This ring portion 26 engages the top ofthe base portion 27 of the bearing seal, but is of a diameter sufliciently torest outside of the bearing seal portion 28 that is above the slit 23. The numeral 29 designates a circular continuous upwardly extending ring on the portion '27, inside the ring 26, but outside the ring portion 25. Thus the base 27 acts as a circular valve flap having its ring 29 engaging the plate and the'plate ring 26 engaging it. The pressure of the grease below the follower plate will yieldingly hold this base area 27in sealing engagement with the plate, thereby preventing grease or air leakage through, the center hole of the plate. To further make this seal effective, the portion 28 has in the slit a continuous downwardly extending ring portion 30 located outside the plate ring 25. Inasmuch as the bearing seal is of flexible resilient material itis attachably forced into the hole 17 of the plate 15 with the area of the plate around the hole 17 extending into the slit 23. The ring portions 25, 26, 29 and 30 seal the unlt against passage of grease between the slit 23 and the hole 17 of the plate. The ring portions 21 and 22 prevent grease from passing upwardly between the inside of the bore 20 and outside of the tube 13. These sealing rings 21 and 22 are the only contacting portions of the follower plate unit on the tube 13 and therefore sliding movement of the unit is easy, due to a minimum of friction surfaces. By the two rings 21 and 22 being spaced apart, and below and above, respectively of the plate portion 15,the unit will be maintained in sliding alignment with the tube 13, and any canting of the unit will be prevented. Thus, the follower plate unit will not v stickor bind on the tube 13.

grease pump on the lid and has its suction tube ,13 extending downwardly in and terminating near the inside "Some changes may be made in the construction and" arrangement of my follower plate for grease dispensers without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims, any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope. v

I claim: 1. Incombination, a container, a suction tube extending into said container, a resilient bearing seal having a bore loosely and slidably embracing said tube, a continuous circular inwardly extending ring on the wall of the bore of said bearing seal slida'bly engaging said tube; said resilient bearing'seal having 'a continuous slit in its periphery, a follower plate having a "hole, said follower plate embracing said'resilient bearing seal with the area surrounding said hole extending into said slit, and a con: tinuous ring on said plate concentric with said :hole and in said slit, said continuous ring extending toward and engaging that part of said bearing seal that is-below said slit. 7

2. In combination,-a container, a suction tube extending into said container, a resilient bearing seal having a bore loosely and slidably embracing said tube, a .continuous circular inwardly extending ring on'the ,wall ofthe bore of said bearing seal slidably engagingsaid tube; said resilient bearing seal having a continuous slit in its periphery, a follower plate havinga 11016, said follower plate embracing said resilient bearing seal with the area surrounding said hole extending into said slit, a continuous ring on saidplate concentric with said hole and in said slit, said continuous ring extending toward and engaging that part of said bearing seal that is below said slit, and a second continuous ring on said plate, embracing its hole in said slit, and extending toward and engag ing that part of said bearing seal that is above said slit.

3. In combination, a container, a suction tube extending into said container, a resilient bearing seal having a bore loosely and slidably embracing said tube, a continuous circular inwardly extending ring on the wall of the bore of said bearing seal slidably engaging said tube; said resilient bearing ,sea-l having a continuous slit in its periphery, a follower plate having a hole, said follower plate embracing said resilient bearing seal with the area surrounding said hole extending into said slit, a. continuous ring on said plate concentric with said hole and in said slit, said continuous ring extending toward and engaging that part ,of said bearingseal that is below said slit, a second continuous ring on said plate, embracing its hole in said slit, and extending toward and engaging that part of said bearing seal that is above said slit, and two oppositely extending continuous rings in the slit of saidbearing seal engaging opposite sides re,- spectively of said plate.

Refer nces Cited in the file of-this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Gass -r---t------r--.-- Jul 2: 2 Dinkelkamp July 23, 1957 

